Kozakura
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Byakuya's death is reported, Tetsuya, bearer of the Kuchiki heir, flees the Seireitei, trying to reach Ichigo. But, can Ichigo keep the two safe as he searches for Byakuya?...yaoi, mpreg...Ichigo/Byakuya/Tetsuya
1. Flight from Eden

**Kozakura**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Flight from Eden**

Tetsuya stood frozen at the top of a cliff, overlooking the bright lake and open field where he and Byakuya had trained as teens, watching the grass wave in the troubled breeze, and reaching out with his senses. He felt again the troubling absence of his cousin's reiatsu and focused harder.

_Should we not return to the manor, Master? _the tall, black stallion spoke into Tetsuya's roiling mind, turning a pair of sapphire eyes on the noble that looked the same as his own, _It is surely safer for you and your baby there._

Tetsuya let a hand slide down to the pronounced bump on his abdomen, thinking back to the beginning of the day.

_"You look beautiful, watashi no itoko," Byakuya said, helping him to his feet and back to the bed._

_"I look horrid," complained Tetsuya, rubbing his belly and willing the dizziness and nausea to ease, "I am pale as a ghost and expelling as much as I take in. I thought this was supposed to get easier as I approached my due date."_

_Byakuya climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around his cousin from behind._

_"It will," he assured Tetsuya as the younger man leaned back and closed his eyes, sighing in relief at the soothing flow of balancing reiatsu that flowed from his cousin's palms. He went quiet, enjoying the feel of Byakuya's soft hands touching him, and the gentle play of kisses his cousin placed on the sensitive skin on the side of his throat._

_"Ah...Byakuya-sama," he moaned, his eyelids fluttering, "That...feels so much better...but..."_

_"But what?" the clan leader whispered, smiling knowingly._

_"You know that it makes me...hungry."_

_Byakuya nodded, not mistaking his meaning, nor the intense feeling of arousal that the bonding stimulated in his pregnant cousin. He laid Tetsuya down on his back and met his soft, sweet lips gently, then began a long, slow exploration of the younger man's body, enjoying the tickle of his hair, the softness of his skin, the slender hands that grasped him and the sweet, enthusiastic mouth that sought his as their bodies were joined. Tetsuya groaned with relief at the slightly painful, but gripping feeling of being deeply penetrated, possessed, and passionately loved by his older cousin. He wrapped his legs tightly around Byakuya's thrusting hips, letting his head fall back and moaning at the rush of shivers that ran through his body as Byakuya's mouth devoured the flesh of face and throat, feasted on his biting mouth and panted puffs of warm breath against his shoulder._

_Tetsuya's head went into a dizzying spin as Byakuya panted harder and his movements became rougher and more urgent. He opened his eyes so as not to miss the glow of heady arousal in his cousin's wide, gray eyes, and the lovely look of surrender as he reached climax. Blazing heat pulsed into Tetsuya's core, filling him, burning with life, with love, with tender promise. With a beautiful cry that Byakuya hungrily devoured as it sounded, Tetsuya gave in to the throes of orgasm, writhing uncontrollably in Byakuya's arms, and releasing in long, hot pulses onto their sweating skin._

_He laid quietly afterward, watching as his cousin kissed the swollen bump, under which their progeny grew, and fed blissfully on the warm, wet remains of their lovemaking. He gave Tetsuya a look of regret as his eyes touched on the clock and read the time. Tetsuya tried to accept the fact gracefully, but sat up suddenly as Byakuya began to exit their bed. He took hold of the silken sleeve of Byakuya's yukata and earned a warm, understanding look from the clan leader._

_"Please don't go," Tetsuya whispered, feeling sick inside at his show of weakness, "Byakuya-sama..."_

_The clan leader let out a soft breath and kissed Tetsuya's lips gently._

_"I lead a division of soldiers, Tetsuya," he said quietly, "You know that I cannot abandon them, nor the protection of Soul Society. And Sotaicho has told us that there is a strange disturbance in Hueco Mundo that needs addressing. I am the most experienced taicho available to explore the area. I have been there before. I am going in with Renji as well, so you know that I will have the best possible protection. It will be all right, Tetsuya. A few weeks and I will be back in plenty of time to be here so that we can greet our son or daughter together."_

_"I know," said Tetsuya in a trembling voice, "But, I...Byakuya-sama, the one regret I have about being in this condition is that I cannot do the one thing that matters most to me. I live to protect you. I owe you for everything you have done for me. And now, when you need that protection the most...I..."_

_He broke off, fighting back tears and feeling the flush of shame on his cheeks for showing such fear. Byakuya took his cousin's face in his hands, and looked deeply into Tetsuya's lovely, trusting blue eyes._

_"I love you. I will come back to you. You are always in my heart, Tetsuya, and that is a protection that remains with us, even when we are apart."_

_He glanced at the clock again, then sat down on the bed and took Tetsuya's hands._

_"Tetsuya, before I go, I must prepare you...just in case..."_

_"No!" Tetsuya hissed, turning his head away to ward off the words._

_"Tetsuya, you must be prepared. I will do everything within my power to return to you as quickly as possible, but if something should happen..."_

_"N-no..." Tetsuya moaned, shaking his head._

_"Tetsuya, listen," the clan leader said, taking hold of his face and forcing him to meet his serious, gray eyes, "If you see this hell butterfly, do not hesitate. Summon Arashi and leave everything behind."_

_"B-byakuya-sama..."_

_"As much as we have acceptance, there is dissent among the subfamilies, and in my absence, my enemies may seek to end my line. Succession passes from me to this child. And I know you are aware whose line will inherit leadership if something happens to me. You must make sure that our child is kept safe, no matter what happens. If you would protect me, then protect our child, Tetsuya, and protect yourself. If things go ill, go to Karakura Town and entrust yourself to Kurosaki Ichigo. In my absence, his presence is the safest place for you to be."_

_He kissed Tetsuya's lips again and brushed a tear from his eye._

_"Promise me that you will do this for me...that if anything should happen, you will safeguard our child and help him or her to rise to leadership...to heal the rifts within our clan and to make things right again."_

_"Byakuya-sama..."_

_"Promise me, Tetsuya. Promise me, now."_

_Tetsuya shivered with doubt, but forced the words out._

_"I promise, Byakuya-sama," he whispered, "I will do as you say."_

_"Good," said the clan leader, smiling and feeding him a final kiss of parting, "I am relieved. I can turn my attention to this mission and give it my full attention, knowing that you and our baby will be in good hands. Goodbye, my love. Be safe."_

_"You as well, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, hating every word._

_He couldn't look as his cousin departed the room, and he fled the room once the Kuchiki heir was gone. Still in his sleeping yukata, he leapt onto Arashi's strong back and ran the stallion across the gardens. The lovely beast leapt nimbly over the back gate, and galloped down the forest path, emerging onto the cliff, where Tetsuya and Byakuya shared their nightly ritual of sitting beneath a sakura tree and gazing up at the lovely moon. He sat beneath the sakura tree, staring out over the lake and meadow and trying to force the worry away. He had almost convinced himself that it was just pre-birth jitters, and that everything would be all right, when the strange pulsation in Byakuya's reiatsu began, then his power flared brightly before slowly beginning to disappear. Behind them, the house alarms began to ring in response to the sensing of the threat to their leader._

Tetsuya was brought out of his reverie as Arashi's voice sounded in his mind again.

_Master?_

"We have to wait here," Tetsuya said softly, "We don't want to be under lockdown if..."

"Cousin?" said a deep, quietly sarcastic voice, "Shouldn't you be back at the manor? It would be safer there for you, ne?"

"I am fine where I am, Orochi," Tetsuya answered, placing a hand on Arashi, "Shouldn't _you_ be attending to the defense of the manor?"

"But, part of defending the manor is making sure that the bearer of the heir does not wander off. It could be dangerous, Tetsuya. Who knows what could happen? We could lose that mixed blood bastard in your belly...and then what?"

"Get away from me," Tetsuya warned the other man, "Go and see to your duties."

"I will," said Orochi, "And...the moment our cousin's death is confirmed...I will see to you, you half blood whore."

"You have no power over me," Tetsuya warned him, "I carry the heir. There are rules, Orochi."

"Yes, there are," sneered the other man, "which is why you were made to act as his concubine and not his spouse."

"I am well aware of why Byakuya-sama and I were not allowed to be married. And I know _you_ are aware of what his intentions are, should _anyone_ defy him and try to do harm to me or this child!"

"Peace, Cousin," Orochi said placatingly, "You are too untrusting. I may think of you as a lesser person, but you do carry the heir and that makes you a person of significance. Come back to the manor with me, so that I can personally see to your safety, myself. You wouldn't want you recklessness to cause some kind of foulness to assault you."

"The only thing that has ever 'assaulted me,' is you," Tetsuya hissed darkly, "Now, leave me be. Arashi and Re-kuhime are enough protection for me."

He inhaled sharply as a small insect fluttered into view, and both men registered the meaning of its arrival.

The two froze, Tetsuya's widened, sapphire eyes staring into Orochi's deep black ones, and the shock of what was happening, leaving them reeling. Byakuya's voice whispered into Tetsuya's stunned mind, setting his feet into motion and making him leap onto Arashi's back and spur the stallion into a blaze of flash steps as Orochi drew his weapon and flash stepped after them.

They sailed down off of the cliff and over the wide lake, down into the meadow, where Arashi turned and loosed a hail of ban kai strength ice blades at Orochi. Orochi snarled and raised his own reiatsu, loosing his weapon and watching as his huge, black armored snake curled around him, blocking the path of the ice blades, then sliding swiftly after the retreating horse and rider. Tetsuya pointed his zanpakuto straight ahead, opening a senkaimon and racing into it. Orochi's snake followed, with his master riding near his head. They closed on Tetsuya and Arashi quickly, and before they could reach the Karakura Town exit, they were forced to turn and fight.

Arashi loosed another volley of ice blades, but the black, armored snake shot through the center, bearing down on Tetsuya and catching the noble's shoulder with a sharp fang, before Tetsuya fired a heavy cyclone of water, that forced the snake away and pushed Orochi back.

Tetsuya slid down off the stallion's back, holding the wound on his shoulder, and he opened the senkaimon and tumbled through, scrambling to his feet almost as he landed. He tried to mount Arashi, but felt an odd, dizzy sensation and realized that the snake must have infused the bite wound with toxic venom.

"Shussui, Re-kuhime," he hissed, causing the zanpakuto spirit to release a soft infusion of staying reiatsu into his system.

_Let me fend them off,_ Arashi insisted as the senkaimon began to open again behind them, _You are in no condition for fighting and need to find help._

It was an odd thing, quite against Tetsuya's nature to abandon the fight, but he knew well that Arashi could handle himself and get away, and that the heir in his belly needed to be protected. He flash stepped away, with a quick admonishment to the stallion to be cautious., then he was running down a maze of darkened streets and looking for a place to conceal himself.

_I was forced out short of Urahara's shop, and in any case, he is likely involved in what is going on. I have to find someone to help me._

He heard the sounds of battle behind him and hastened away, heading towards a lighted area that bore a sign for a hospital. Tetsuya removed the gigai that Byakuya had warned him to always carry, and he slipped into it, then ran towards the hospital, his head swimming uncomfortably from the snake's poison.

_Damn...it is too strong! I c-can't..._

He heard screeching tires and turned to find that a car had come around the corner and was bearing down on him, where he stood in the roadway. He dove out of the way, but took a blow to the hip that sent him crashing to the ground.

_Kami...!_

He felt darkness closing in, and everything seemed to go hazy and quiet.

Some time later, he heard voices around him and felt soft touches of healing. Some part of him realized that he was being treated by humans, but he sensed that the heir's life force still resonated inside him, and relaxed somewhat, allowing himself to be taken into the hospital and placed in a bed.

"I couldn't find any sort of identification," said a female voice.

"Don't worry about that," said a male voice, "What is his condition?"

"Moderate trauma to his right hip from being hit by a car. He was lucky. No apparent breaks, just a lot of bruising. Looks like a moderate concussion, and he appeared to be suffering from some kind of illness. He was reportedly staggering before being hit. It may be illness or a toxin, so we drew blood."

"Okay, let me know when those results come back."

Tetsuya felt his consciousness slipping away and tried desperately to reach out in his mind for Arashi, but received only silence in response. He thought then, for the first time, of what the hell butterfly meant.

_If Orochi reaches me, he will kill us..._

_Byakuya-sama is..._

_No...he can't be._

_Please, no..._

_Byakuya-sama!_

Something cool and deeply soothing flooded his veins, and Tetsuya sank down into restorative sleep, grateful not to have to think anymore. He didn't care about his own fate, but only for the child who he knew must be protected carefully.

"K-kurosaki...Ichi...go," he moaned, "You must...f-find him."

"Kurosaki Ichigo?" repeated the doctor, "Make a note of that. It may help us find someone who knows him."

The voices faded into grayness, and all Tetsuya could feel was the slow beating of his heart and the rush of blood in his veins. But given how close he had come to dying at Orochi's hands, he considered himself lucky.

XXXXXXXXXX

(6 months later)

"Hey Rukia," said Ichigo, nodding as the young woman entered through his bedroom window, "What's going on?"

Rukia gave the youth a troubled look and produced a hell butterfly. She bit at her lips gently, then forced the words out.

"This...was found among Nii-sama's things. It is for you...a message...only for your ears."

"Oh," the ginger-haired youth said, his eyes saddening at the memory of Byakuya's disappearance and reported death, "Okay..."

He touched the dark insect with a finger, and he and Rukia flinched and swallowed hard as Byakuya's voice rose out of the butterfly.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo, I hoped that I would not have to send this, but if it has come into your possession, you must attend carefully. There is someone of great value to me, someone who needs protection...someone I can no longer protect. His name is Kuchiki Tetsuya. He is my cousin, and he is pregnant with my child._"

"Wh-what?" mused Ichigo, "but..._he_?"

"Tetusya is special," said Rukia, her voice breaking, "Byakuya was able to impregnate him. They were not allowed to be married, but they were very much in love."

"So...Byakuya wants me to...?"

"Why don't you listen to the rest of the message?" suggested Rukia.

Ichigo nodded and indicated for the insect to continue.

_"Because he half noble and half peasant, Tetsuya has enemies within the family. And with the mixing of our blood, some have turned even against me, and have plotted against our child. If I fall in battle...If I cannot return to them, I am depending on you to help them. Yours is the strongest power I know that can protect them. The unrest within my clan is slowly breaking us apart. Tetsuya will be tasked with bearing the heir, then putting the pieces of our clan back together. I am aware of how much I am asking, and I would not ask and indebt myself to you, yet again, but I know of no one else who is strong enough. So...I ask that when Tetsuya comes to you...keep him safe. Keep him well. And protect our child. Thank you, Ichigo."_

"Huh..." Ichigo mused, scratching the back of his neck, "He wants me to protect his lover?"

"Yes," said Rukia, "but there is a problem."

"Yeah?"

"Tetsuya disappeared six months ago...the day Byakuya's death was sensed. No one knows where he is either, Ichigo."


	2. The Jewel

**Chapter 2: The Jewel**

The sound of soft voices filled the chamber of the Kuchiki elders as the men and women of the council settled into the their seats and waited for the arrival of the head elder. Kuchiki Arisu took the seat next to a man with shoulder length graying hair and powerful black eyes, whose eldest son sat at his right shoulder.

"Congratulations, Isas," the lady elder said with a little edge of sarcasm, "though it's a pity that you are only receiving an elevation to regency. It's so odd how Tetsuya disappeared the same day that Byakuya was killed…"

"Isn't it?" Isas agreed, his cold eyes revealing nothing, "Tragic."

Arisu arched a fine eyebrow, her jade colored eyes narrowing.

"I see you've brought your favorite son. Good to see you, Orochi."

Orochi gazed back at her in silence, only giving a short nod, then turning his eyes to the chamber entry, where the head elder was arriving.

Kuchiki Nori strode forward, his gait smooth despite his many years and his light blue eyes calm and slightly sad. He crossed the room and took a seat at the head of the large council table. His eyes scanned the group of twelve elders, some accompanied by subfamily heirs and all attended by servants who waited quietly in the gallery.

"Welcome," he greeted the others, making the whispers in the room go silent, "this meeting is called to order. Fumio, will you read the agenda?"

A middle aged man with short cropped black hair and solemn brown eyes stood and began to read from a page he held in his hand.

"This special council is called to declare an end to the waiting period and to name Kuchiki Isas as family regent. Before we begin, the council will finish their interrogation of Kuchiki Koji in the matter of Tetsuya's disappearance. You will recall that he testified in the last meeting that he was not with Tetsuya at the time of his disappearance and that he has had no contact with Tetsuya since then. The council calls Kuchiki Koji."

The council doors opened to admit a pair of family guards, who led a young man with black hair and downcast emerald eyes into the chamber. The guards led Koji to a small podium set short of the council meeting table, then removed the kido bonds from his wrists before stepping back and taking up a position behind him. Koji turned reddened eyes on the waiting elders. Nori met his gaze apologetically.

"Are you all right, my boy?" he asked kindly, "You look distressed. Did something happen?"

"No sir, I am fine," Koji lied, keeping his eyes lowered, "Please continue."

Nori nodded hesitantly.

"Very well. You testified at the last council meeting that you were not with Tetsuya when he disappeared, and that Tetsuya has not contacted you since?"

"Yes sir," Koji answered softly.

"Will you tell the council where you were?" Nori inquired, "as our understanding is that Byakuya left orders for Tetsuya to be constantly attended."

"He and I were walking to the waterfall on the west side of the estate," Koji recounted, "Tetsuya-san seemed out of sorts. It is…w-was…always difficult for him when Byakuya-sama would leave. Tetsuya-san said he was cold, and he asked me to return to the main house to bring him a cloak."

"And how long were you away from him?" asked Nori.

"It is a five minute walk from the area where we were on the trail to the house, then it took me perhaps ten minutes to reach the waterfall," Koji reported.

"And what did you find when you arrived there?"

Koji paused, his hands trembling where they clasped together in front of him.

"I found no sign of him, sir," he said in a quavering voice, "He was with Arashi, but neither he nor Arashi were at the waterfall, and I could find no signs of them anywhere on the trail. They seemed to have vanished into thin air!"

"Is that right?" Isas said, standing and glaring at the attendant, "Are you sure this is all you remember?"

"Yes, I've told you already," Koji insisted, his eyes filling with tears, "I have no idea where Tetsuya-san went and he has not contacted me!"

"Hmm," Isas said, glancing at Orochi for a moment, "And you expect us to take you at your word, do you?"

Koji gazed back at the subfamily leader in silence.

"Tell me something," Isas went on, "Are you in the habit of lying for your master?"

Koji paled.

"I…I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I think you do," Isas said sedately, "Did you not lie to my son prior to Tetsuya's disappearance, when Orochi requested a meeting with Tetsuya to discuss the main family's protection?"

Koji stiffened.

"I…"

"It's fine. We already know. You did lie to my son about that."

"I must obey the will of my master," Koji answered in a shaking voice.

"Even if he wills that you should lie?" asked Isas.

Behind him, Orochi's lips curved into a cruel smile.

"S-sir, I…"

"It is clear that we can't be sure if Tetsuya might have told you something and sworn you to secrecy. As grave a matter as this is, I see no recourse, but to continue your incarceration in the family detainment center. I believe the penalty for withholding information in a case like this is ten to twenty years. I move that we incarcerate you for twenty years, as this is regarding the disappearance of a concubine carrying the Kuchiki heir."

Nori frowned, but held back from commenting.

"All in favor of assessing the maximum penalty," he said solemnly, "Opposed?"

His eyes saddened more as they met Koji's.

"Kuchiki Koji, it is the will of the majority of the council that you return to the detainment center, where you will remain incarcerated for twenty years, less the six months that you have already served."

Tears flowed down the young man's face, but he remained quiet and cooperative as his hands were bound and he was led away. In the gallery, Koji's two brothers watched in dismay.

"What can we do, Torio?" the younger brother asked anxiously.

"I can do nothing," Torio answered, watching as the council turned its attention to the swearing in of the new family regent, "I am forced to serve Isas and they will probably assign you to serve Orochi."

Akio made a sound of disgust.

"They are horrible," he confided, "Torio, please, we have to escape."

"Shh, we will probably be watched. We can't be accused of anything because Byakuya-sama was away at the time of his death, but we still have to be careful."

Torio's body shook slightly as Isas recited the acceptance pledge for leadership and moved to the head of the table to sit with Nori.

"They've shown with what they are doing to our brother. They are hateful people, and they will stop at nothing."

"All the more reason for us to free Koji and get out of here!" Akio insisted, "And before you say no, please listen. I think I have an idea."

XXXXXXXXXX

Soft footsteps sounded outside the door of a white walled room at the Tokyo West Rehabilitation Center. A nurse entered the room, carrying a medical chart and holding a cup containing a pill meant for the young man within the room.

"Good morning, Tama-san," said the nurse, smiling sweetly at the sleepily blinking, sapphire-eyed man who looked up at her from the hospital bed, "You look well today."

She handed him the cup containing the pill and poured a glass of water for him. The young man remained silent, but gave her a look of gratitude.

"That should take care of some of those nagging aches and pains, ne?" the nurse said kindly, "Tama-san, are you ready to get up and move around?"

The blue-eyed man nodded and accepted the dark haired, matronly woman's assistance in climbing out of bed and rising onto his unsteady legs. He rested a hand on the bed, gathering himself, then he very slowly lightened his grip until all of the weight was on his legs. They still shook slightly, but he crossed the floor in careful steps, moving out into the hallway, with the nurse at his side, chatting gaily as they made a small circuit around the building.

"You're doing much, much better, Tama-san," the nurse praised him, "Considering the troubling head injury you had, you are making a grand recovery. But Doctor Furudo is still uncertain as to why you are still not speaking to us. I mean, we all love the strong, silent type, Tama-san, dear, but I know _I_ for one, would love to hear the sweet voice that goes with that angelic face of yours."

Tama gave her a gentle smile and continued to walk with her towards the front door of the facility.

"I think we'll go outside today," the nurse went on, leading him out the entrance doors, "The garden is lovely with everything in bloom...so many flowers and the birds singing for us. Oh, and the koi pond is done and we have some really big koi in there now."

Tama's smile widened at the sight of the beautiful garden, and he managed to traverse the entire trail alongside the nurse before turning back towards the rehabilitation center.

"Keiko-san," said a male voice issuing from behind them, "could you please look this over and give me an approval?"

"Oh, of course," said the nurse, "Wait here for a moment, Tama-san," she said, leaving the young man beside the koi pond.

Tama knelt at the side of the pond and gazed down into the water, confused at his reflection, which didn't match the dreams he always had about himself. Although his blue eyes were correct, he was sure that his hair had been darker, that his features had been more finely carved and that his lower abdomen had borne a rounded area. He knew well that the name they called him was one that his nurse had made up to match his bright, gemlike eyes, but he couldn't understand the rest. He blinked slowly, watching the fish for a time, then looking up to watch the sakura petals float down on the breeze. His eyes narrowed and he caught his breath softly as the face and voice of another man entered his mind.

_"I love you. I will come back to you. You are always in my heart, Tetsuya, and that is a protection that remains with us, even when we are apart."_

_Tetsuya_, he thought, looking down at his reflection again, _Is that my name? It felt like my name when spoken by the raven-haired man from my dreams. But I just don't know._

He was distracted out of his thoughts by a flicker of movement in the brush and the intense feeling of being watched. He returned to looking into the water, but used his peripheral vision to watch the bushes. For several moments, everything seemed silent and still, but then the branches of the nearest bush moved and he heard the soft huffing of a large creature's breathing. Tama inhaled sharply in surprise when a black, equine face poked through and looked at him through bright blue eyes like his own.

_What a beautiful horse..._

He continued to study the beast out of the corner of an eye as the horse moved cautiously about the brush, then stopped a few feet away, looking at him intently. Tama slowly raised his eyes and met the horse's, and froze there, with the two of them staring at each other.

_Tetsuya, _whispered a wispy voice in his head.

The young man came to his feet, gasping in surprise at the sound.

_What was that? _he thought, his eyes still glued to the horse.

He heard the voice again, but couldn't make out the words. The only thing clear to him was the name that the voice had called him.

_Is it that the horse is somehow speaking into my mind? Am I hearing things?_

He stiffened as the voice sounded in his mind again.

_Tetsuya!_

He strained to understand the words that followed, but had made no progress, when the nurse's footsteps approached him, and he turned his head to greet her. He was sure that she would say something about the tall black horse, but as she arrived, she only continued her chatter and started to take him by the arm to lead him back to the rehabilitation center.

"Sorry to leave you alone Tama-san. But we'll just...T-tama-san, is something wrong?"

He had stopped moving and was staring at the tall, black horse when it occurred to him.

_She does not see him? He is right in front of us and she does not see him? How can this be? Is he really there at all?_

He quivered as the wispy voice spoke to him again.

_Tetsuya! Master!_

"Oh, Tama-san, was the walking a bit too much this time? I am sorry if I pushed you too hard. Come with me. I will give you a nice long back and leg rub. I'll set you right again. I promise I will."

_Why can't she see you? _Tama wondered.

This time, the voice in his head said something more he could hear clearly.

_She is human and we are not. We are..._

"Come along now, sweet Tama-san," said the nurse, turning him away, "I'll give you that rubdown and then we'll have lunch."

Another brief flash of memory assaulted him as he walked back towards the center with the nurse.

_Easy now...I will give you a good rubdown and a well-earned treat after. That was impressive work, Arashi._

"A-arashi!" Tama gasped suddenly, startling the nurse.

"Tama-san!" she said excitedly, "Tama-san, you spoke! That is good, Tama-san! Are you remembering someone you know?"

Sweat broke out on his forehead and his body trembled with effort as he tried to make his voice sound again. Keiko waited patiently, holding his hand and offering gentle words of encouragement, but finally Tama let out a shaky breath and looked down at the ground. Keiko placed a warm palm on his face and looked calmly into his confused eyes.

"This is progress, Tama-san," she said firmly, "Come inside and rest. I am sure that whatever you remembered, you will get it to come out eventually. I will tell your counselor about this. I am sure he will be able to help you remember more."

Weary from the effort and his mind beginning to fog from the pain reliever he had been given, Tama sighed softly and accepted her arm around him as she guided him back into the building.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rukia sighed sadly and shook her head, watching as the hell butterfly flickered in front of them and disappeared. She looked around the bedroom, which oddly hadn't changed much from the time that she and Ichigo had met.

_He's older now, but he's still that same boy I met…stubborn and determined to protect the people he cares about. And even though everyone knows now about him being the Shiba family heir, he still hangs on to this part of himself…the human part. He's a person with so much power and ability, but he hasn't let it go to his head._

"So, you say that no one has seen your cousin, Tetsuya, in the last six months?" Ichigo asked, "And there are no clues about where he might have gone or what happened to him?"

"It's hard to be sure of anything," Rukia said, shaking her head sadly, "Ichigo, you know the mess that was left after the war. Tetsuya's evacuation plan saved our clan from the great losses that the others suffered, but we lost a lot of fighters, and the other clans lost a lot of everyone. The devastation was like that of the war a thousand years ago, when the breeder males were made."

Ichigo looked at Rukia more intently.

"The breeder males?" he repeated curiously, "Are you talking about people like Tetsuya? Men who could have children?"

"Yes," Rukia answered matter-of-factly, "Ichigo, you know that although human males are made of material…cells, spirits are made of spirit particles, and spirit particles can be manipulated."

"You mean, something like how I shape the power I use when I take shinigami form?" Ichigo surmised.

"Yes, like that," Rukia affirmed, "It's more difficult with our bodies, because the spirit particles are densely packed and strongly bonded, but you've seen how some shinigamis even have powers that cause their bodies to transform in some ways. After the first quincy war, there was a lot of concern that the noble families were in decline and needed to expand their numbers. There were more males than females, so scientist of the time sought a way to cause a change in the men's bodies to allow them to carry children. They were able to accomplish this, and the first breeder males were made. They helped to repopulate the clans."

Ichigo frowned.

"But if they did something important like that, how come I never heard about them or met one in all of the time I was in Soul Society."

Rukia gave him a troubled look.

"After the first children of the breeder males came of age, it was realized that some of the males were born naturally able to give birth. There were some who feared that the natural laws had been broken and internal fighting caused a backlash against the ones who had done the most to help the noble clans. The breeder males were the target of hatred and many died when secret groups formed that worked behind the scenes to erase them from existence. Many were kidnapped and taken to secret illegal prisons, where they were tortured and killed. The ones who survived, hid the presence of the ability in their families. But even so, most of the breeder males did not survive. Tetsuya is one of a very few breeder males who have been identified and successfully protected…at least, until now."

She moved to the window, looking out at the quiet morning streets below.

"Ichigo," she went on, "since the end of the war, concern has again been building and the noble leaders are under pressure by some who feel that we should return to more traditional ways. I guess it's natural after a crisis to try to figure out how to build a stronger society, and some of them have just decided that the problem was that the noble families were made weaker by allowing too much mixed blood to invade the noble families. Some of the families started bringing back old restrictions against mixed bloods like Tetsuya, and although our clan didn't go so far, there was a lot of infighting. Byakuya tried to ease tensions by saying that he would accept an arranged marriage, as long as he would be allowed to secretly continue his relationship with Tetsuya, but then Tetsuya became pregnant with Byakuya's baby."

"I'll bet that went over well," Ichigo mused, frowning, "Excuse me for saying so, but there are some real assholes in that clan, Byakuya excepted."

"There are assholes in every family," Rukia said, scowling, "Most of the elders agreed that Tetsuya must be acknowledged, but the council could not collect enough votes to support their marriage. Tetsuya urged Byakuya to think about the best interests of the clan and to soothe them by allowing him to take Tetsuya as a concubine. For his part, Byakuya would never be forced to marry anyone else and his child would inherit leadership, but Tetsuya would not be raised to the status of a clan wife. No one was completely happy, least of all Byakuya, but he agreed to it, just to keep peace in the family. But even with that agreement, there were some who continued to work against my brother. Byakuya was worried that someone would hurt Tetsuya and the baby, so he prepared Tetsuya for that. This is why we don't know if Tetsuya left and concealed himself, or if he was kidnapped or killed. If he died, there was no flare of his spirit energy to indicate a fight, which means that the reiatsu around him was manipulated if there was a fight."

Ichigo considered the facts and looked back at Rukia questioningly.

"So, what can we do if no one's seen or heard from Tetsuya in such a long time. Would he have had the kid by now if he was alive?"

"He should have…unless…"

"Unless what?" Ichigo asked, the curious look in his eyes intensifying.

"W-well, think about it. If Byakuya told you to protect Tetsuya, he probably told Tetsuya to come to you. If he tried to and didn't arrive, he may still be here, but concealed. When a pregnant male comes to the living world, he will wear a special gigai, because male humans don't have babies."

"Right," Ichigo agreed.

"The gigai suppresses the appearance of pregnancy and some special gigais put the pregnancy in harmless stasis so that a birth will not occur suddenly while the shinigami is in the living world. I don't know exactly which gigai Tetsuya had, but…it was probably provided by Kisuke, so we could begin by asking him if he can remember. He also puts a trace on his gigais, so he knows where they are. If Tetsuya was here and wearing his gigai, we might be able to track him down that way."

Rukia's frown deepened and she shook her head in dismay.

"I don't know why I didn't think of that. I just…when he disappeared, I was assuming it was in Soul Society. But after hearing the message Byakuya left for you…"

"Why don't we go over and talk to Kisuke?" Ichigo suggested, "Right now, it sounds like he's not just our best lead, he's our only lead."

"Right," Rukia agreed, heading for the window, "Let's go."

Ichigo gave her a rueful smile.

"Okay," he agreed, "but can I get dressed first?"


	3. Whispers

**Chapter 3: Whispers**

Tama looked up from his bed as a kind eyed, dark-haired, bespectacled man entered the room. Keiko broke into an instant smile.

"Good morning, Doctor Saito," she greeted the man warmly.

"Good morning, Keiko-san," he replied cheerfully.

As he approached the bed, he extended a hand, offering the young man in the bed a frozen popsicle.

"Keiko said that you seem to enjoy frozen sweets," he commented, "Good morning, Tama-san. How are you feeling today? I understand that you said something earlier?"

Tama smiled and nodded, accepting the icy treat and opening it with eager hands.

"He said _Arashi_," Keiko reported, "It seems like it must be a name, but I don't know if it is a person or maybe a pet he is remembering. He seemed upset after because he was trying hard to say more."

"I'm sure it's hard to be patient when you've been here for as long as you have, and you are anxious to find your way home," Doctor Saito said sympathetically, "But we may have some leads. We're still trying to find Kurosaki Ichigo, although it would be helpful if we knew where he lived. And his number may be unlisted. Don't worry, we'll keep trying. I just want you to focus on your healing, Tama-san. Get up and walk every day. It looks like your appetite is very healthy."

"You can say that again," Keiko chuckled, "He eats like a horse. I don't know how he stays so thin. He does love fresh vegetables…so much that we planted some things in the garden. We walk out to tend the plants every day now."

"Good," the doctor said approvingly, "I want you to keep that up. "

The doctor paused as another nurse poked her head in through the door.

"Doctor Saito, there is a referral who just arrived from west Karakura. They need you to do a quick arrival assessment and sign off."

"Oh, of course," he answered.

He stood and smiled down at Tama encouragingly.

"You two seem like you have things well in hand. I'm off to take care of this. Let me know if there are any new developments."

"Thank you, Doctor Saito," Keiko said appreciatively.

She watched as the doctor left, then turned back to Tama, who was just finishing the popsicle the doctor had given him. She smiled warmly at the young man and nodded in the direction of the door.

"I have a few things to do," she told him, "Doctor Saito said that you are ready to start doing more things on your own, so if you'd like to walk out to the garden, I will meet you there in a little while."

Tama smiled and nodded.

He sighed softly as she left, feeling a touch of loneliness, but encouraged by the fact of getting a few minutes alone to look for the stallion that he was sure must still be nearby. He climbed out of bed and changed into a fresh yukata before brushing his teeth and hair and leaving his room.

"Good morning, Tama-san," another of the nurses greeted him, "How are you feeling today?"

"B-better," Tama managed politely, earning a smile of approval from the nurse.

"You're finally starting to talk to us!" she exclaimed softly, touching his arm gently in acknowledgment, "You just keep that up and you'll be back home before you know it."

Tama nodded then bowed politely and headed for the door that led into the gardens.

"Such a sweet boy," the nurse sighed, watching him leave, "I hope you find your way home soon."

The little cloud of melancholy Tama felt lifted slightly as he entered the gardens and breathed in the sweet scents of the flowers and fresh water. He walked slowly along the path, pausing by the koi pond to scatter a handful of food for the brightly colored fish, before continuing on his way and heading for the area he and Keiko had planted together. He knelt in front of a row of little plants that grew near the bushes where the horse had appeared before. Tama watched out of the corner of one blue eye as he tended the plants in front of him. For several minutes, the area was quiet, but for the sounds of birds and a squirrel that scampered by. But as he was beginning to wonder if he had only dreamed of the pretty horse, there was a greater rustling in the bushes, and the beast's head poked out. The horse gave him a quizzical look and Tama again heard the soft, wispy voice in his mind.

_Tetsuya._

Tama took a steadying breath, focusing his mind on the feeling of confusion that plagued him and his burning curiosity about the lovely stallion.

_Arashi?_

The horse quivered and looked back at him hopefully.

_You remember me?_

Tama gave the horse a regretful look.

_Sorry, I was badly injured six months ago, and I haven't been able to remember anything about who I am or where my home is._

The horse's ears perked.

_I can help you_, he offered, _First off, you are Kuchiki Tetsuya. You are a shingami._

Tama frowned.

_I am a_…_what_?

"Tama-san," Keiko's voice interrupted, "are you all right?"

Tama startled.

"Oh, sorry!" the nurse apologized, her gaze turning to look in the direction he had been facing, "Poor thing. I didn't mean to startle you. Were you remembering something?"

Tama swallowed hard and tried the name that the horse had given him.

"T-tets-suya," he stammered unsteadily.

_Do not tell her you are a shinigami_, the stallion instructed him, _Most humans can't see spirits_. _If you tell her anything, she will think you're crazy_.

"Tetsuya," he said, smiling wearily as he forced the name out.

"Tetsuya?" Keiko repeated wonderingly, "Is that your name?"

Tetsuya nodded.

"Do you know your last nme?" she asked, taking his hand.

Tetsuya bit his lip gently, glancing surreptitiously at the horse, then he shook his head. Keiko gave him an encouraging smile and patted his face.

"Well, a first name is a start, isn't it? We can check and see if anyone with your name has been reported missing."

Tetsuya nodded gratefully.

"Don't you worry," Keiko said reassuringly, "You're doing better every day. We'll get you home, Tetsuya-san. Now that we know your first name, the police can be more helpful."

_Tetsuya_, the horse said warningly, _when we arrived in Karakura Town, there was…a man, your cousin, Orochi, who was trying to hurt you. He may still be looking for you._

Tetsuya frowned and paled, earning a worried look from his attending nurse.

"Tama-san…erm, Tetsuya-san, we should go back inside. You look tired from trying so hard to remember. Come."

Tetsuya quietly accepted the woman's arm around him and walked slowly back to the building as Arashi emerged from the bushes and followed.

_Is that wise_? Tetsuya inquired, _What if the one who was looking for us sees_?

_We have senses that allow us to feel when familiar souls are close to us_, Arashi answered, _Yours don't seem to be working, but mine are. Orochi is nowhere near. There is a human who can help us. Now that I've emerged…_

Tetsuya blinked in confusion, then he noticed Keiko looking at him worriedly and gave her a little smile.

_Pardon me, emerged_? Tetsuya mused.

_I am a part of your soul. When you were injured_, _I was pulled into your inner world._

_Inner world_?

_Master, I am going to Karakura Town. There is a man there who can help us. You will be safe here until I get back._

"W-wait!" Tetsuya gasped, pulling free of Keiko.

"Tetsuya-san, what's wrong?" the nurse objected.

"Sorry," he panted, shaking softly, "Hurts."

"Poor thing," Keiko said, taking his hand and squeezing, "Let's get you back to your room and I will give you a soothing massage before I go. I'm leaving a little early. I have to go pick some things up in Karakura Town."

Tetsuya relaxed slightly, then even more as they reached his room and Keiko delivered the promised massage. He settled in his bed, his mind busily contemplating.

_I wonder who Arashi plans to look for. It could be Kurosaki Ichigo. I just hope they get here soon…before Orochi finds me_.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I told you I am fine!" Ichigo snapped at his younger sister, "I've got other places I can go for such a minor thing."

"Don't be silly, Ichi-nii," Yuzu said sweetly, "We are right near the hospital where Dad's helping today, see? He will fix that cut right up."

She looked at him quizzically.

"How did you get that cut anyway?"

"Eh...fell down," he lied, not wanting to explain about the hollow, "I told you, I'm fine. I can just..."

"That's okay, Ichi-nii! We're here," she said, pushing him through the doorway.

She ran to the receptionist.

"Is my Dad busy?" she asked excitedly, "Ichi-nii fell and cut up his arm, see?"

"It's not that bad," Ichigo said, blushing, "but she wouldn't let up and we were close, so..."

"Not to worry, Yuzu-chan," said the receptionist, "It just so happens that Kurosaki-san had a cancellation. Go with Mika-chan and she will put you in a room."

"Thanks," said Ichigo, chuckling.

He started to follow the nurse down the hallway, but paused as a feminine voice sounded at the front desk.

"I am Iwanishi Keiko. I work at the rehabilitation center on the edge of Karakura Town. We have a patient, a young man, who was struck by a car six months ago and remembers little. He only just remembered his name and spoke it to us today. He did remember that he was looking for a Kurosaki Ichigo. I didn't know him, but a friend I saw at the hospital across town told me there is a Kurosaki Isshin who was going to be helping out here today, and I wondered..."

"I am Kurosaki Ichigo," Ichigo said, walking back to the reception desk, "You say that this guy was looking for me? He was injured six months ago?"

"Yes," said Keiko, "He was unconscious for some time. Then, he woke, but he could not speak or even walk. He came to the rehabilitation center four months ago, and he has slowly been recovering from his injuries."

"What is his name?" asked Ichigo, hardly daring to hope.

"Well," said the nurse, smiling, "We've been calling him Tama, because of his beautiful blue eyes. But today, he said that he thinks that his name is Tetsuya."

"Tetsuya?" Ichigo repeated, "I _do _know him. We know of each other through a mutual friend and he was supposed to meet with me six months ago. I've been wondering why he never showed up. Can you take me to him now?"

"Of course. He will be so relieved to finally be able to meet someone who can answer some of his questions."

"Please, take me to him right away," said Ichigo.

"Wait a minute, mister!" said Yuzu, grabbing his arm, "You are _not _going anywhere until that arm gets fixed up."

Keiko laughed and smiled at Yuzu.

"Don't worry, I will take care of your brother's injury myself. But Tetsuya-san is very anxious to find his way to you, and I do so want to see that sweet young man find his way home, you know?"

"I'm on it," said Ichigo, turning with Keiko and hurrying out the door, "We've been real worried about Tetsuya. It'll be a relief to know he's okay, and that we've found him."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya rested quietly in his bed, still thinking about the lovely black stallion.

"Arashi," he whispered, remembering.

He wondered if the horse had returned and slipped out of his bed, then walked over to the window. He slid the window open and breathed in the fresh, evening air, feeling relief that soon he would know himself again...that he would be among friends and family who could end his confusion and set him right once more. Tetsuya startled as an equine face appeared suddenly at the window, pushing against the screen and huffing soft breath through it.

_Tetsuya..._

_Hello again, Arashi_, he said, removing the screen and patting the horse's neck, _I am glad you came back. Did you find Kurosaki Ichigo_?

_Not yet_, Arashi answered, _I had to come back, because I thought I might have sensed Orochi in the area_.

_Orochi? The one who wants to hurt me?_

_Yes! You are in danger!_

"Orochi," Tetsuya whispered anxiously.

He heard voices at the nurse's desk and walked to the door to his room, leaving the stallion at the window.

_Tetsuya! Tetsuya, don't!_

"I have been looking for my brother everywhere," said a male voice to the evening nurse, "I heard that you have a patient who was injured by a car six months ago. I must see him, in case the man is my brother."

"What is your brother's name?" asked the nurse.

"Tetsuya. Kuchiki Tetsuya."

"Kuchiki Tetsuya," Tetsuya repeated, frowning.

He wondered why the man's voice sent a chill through him.

_Tetsuya! Come. It is him! It is Orochi!_

"Orochi?" Tetsuya whispered, peeking out at the man.

If the sound of his voice had unnerved him, the sight of the coldly handsome, black-eyed man left Tetsuya numb with fear. He turned and fled, still not knowing why his instincts told him the man would hurt him...only knowing that he was sure the man would. He ran to the window and climbed out and onto the black stallion's back.

_Hold on!_ Arashi's voice hissed in his mind as the stallion turned and broke into a gallop, fleeing the center as the lights went on in Tetsuya's room and loud voices rose up behind them. A dark form flew out the window and sent a powerful flash of blue fire after the retreating horse. Arashi ran faster as the man followed in blazing flash steps, firing more blasts that struck the trees and ground all around them.

Arashi ran into the trees, and weaved his way through them, changing direction suddenly, several times as he fought to elude their attacker. Still pursued by the other man, the stallion broke out of the trees and moved to his maximum speed, trying to outdistance the pursuing noble.

"I have you now, you half-blood whore!" Orochi snarled, launching a kido blast at Tetsuya's back.

Arashi turned, evading the blast, but shied and pulled up as a car appeared on the road and swerved to miss them. The vehicle screeched to a halt, and a ginger-haired youth tumbled out.

"Tetsuya!" he cried, "Tetsuya, it's me! It Kurosaki Ichi..."

He broke off, exploding into shinigami form as Orochi closed in and fired a kido blast at Tetsuya from point-blank range. Orochi froze as Ichigo set himself between the shinigami and his quarry.

"You know who I am," he said, frowning, "I know you do. I don't know why you're trying to hurt Kuchiki Tetsuya, but I'm not going to allow it. Back down now, or I will loose enough power to kill you."

Orochi's eyes glinted wickedly in the darkness, and his lips curled with fury, but he knew better than to challenge the youth directly. He turned his glare on Tetsuya.

"You may think that you have escaped me, Tetsuya, but let me assure you, it doesn't end here. Watch your back, Cousin."

He disappeared in a flash step, leaving Ichigo, Arashi and Tetsuya staring at each other. Keiko's voice sounded suddenly from near the stopped car.

"Oh kami! You need to breathe!" she cried, leaning over Ichigo's abandoned human body.

"Oh crap," sighed Ichigo, pulling out the memory altering device that Rukia had given him.

He held it in front of the nurse's face and activated it, making her eyes go blank for a moment. She shook her head to clear it as Ichigo slipped back into his body, and Tetsuya and Arashi backed into the shadows.

"It's okay now," said Ichigo, setting Keiko back on her feet, "Go on home."

He watched as the woman got back in her car and drove away, then turned to Tetsuya and Arashi.

"You're Tetsuya?" he asked.

Tetsuya nodded.

"I know you can't talk much. Keiko told me about you. I'm really glad we found you," said Ichigo, "Rukia and I have been real worried about you. We didn't know where you were."

Tetsuya gave him a distressed look.

"It's okay," said Ichigo, "I'm gonna take you to someone who can help you. But you should take off your gigai so the humans won't see you."

"G-gomen nasai," said Tetsuya, blinking cutely, "Gigai?"

"Ah," chuckled Ichigo, "I see you and I have some catching up to do. Come on, Tetsuya-san. I'll take you somewhere safe."


	4. Little Miracle

**Chapter 4: Little Miracle**

Tetsuya followed quietly as Ichigo led him to a place along one of the busy streets, where people stood, waiting for a bus. Ichigo looked around cautiously, keeping a protective arm around Tetsuya as the people around them chatted casually and cars sped by in the street.

"We've got to get out of the city," Ichigo explained softly, "We're going to meet a friend at a safe place that he owns. See, Kisuke's taken care of more than a few people who didn't want to be found. I know you and Urahara Kisuke have met before. Do you have any recollection of that name?"

Tetsuya thought carefully, but in the end, shook his head sadly.

"Nothing, huh?" the ginger-haired man acknowledged sympathetically, "Well, don't worry, Tetsuya. Kisuke's a genius, probably the greatest mind in Soul Society. If anyone can help you get your memory back and get you out of that gigai, he can."

He smiled as Tetsuya frowned and touched a fingertip to his arm.

"Gigai," he whispered.

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "Usually, putting on a gigai is pretty easy, as long as the fit is right, but yours is really stuck on there."

Ichigo paused and his face reflected a look of curiosity.

"Tetsuya, the message that was sent to me by your cousin, Byakuya said that you were about to have a…"

He broke off as the bus rolled up to the curb and stopped in front of them.

"Oh, time for us to go," he said, stepping back to let his lovely companion board first.

Tetsuya shivered softly at the close confines of the bus, and his eyes flicked around nervously as Ichigo paid their fare.

"You all right?" Ichigo asked, guiding him to two open seats, "You look like you're not used to being around so many people."

"I'm not sure," Tetsuya confessed, earning a gentle smile from Ichigo as he shivered again and pressed closer to his protector, "That m-man before was…"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "he's a real bastard, according to Rukia."

"Rukia?" Tetsuya repeated blankly, looking out at the passing cars as the bus rolled down the street.

"You're going to see her when we get to the safe house," Ichigo explained, "Maybe seeing her will jog your memory. I know you are close."

"Hmm."

Ichigo watched Tetsuya out of the corner of an eye as he gazed out the window with a lost expression. He slipped a hand into Tetsuya's and squeezed gently, smiling as Tetsuya glanced back at him cautiously and relaxed slightly.

"You must feel pretty lost," Ichigo commented, "But you knew to ask for me."

"While half-conscious," Tetsuya mused, "I…don't know…"

He paused, struggling to continue.

"It's okay," Ichigo said reassuringly, "That nurse, Keiko, said that you had a terrible concussion and it may be that or the shock to your body, getting hit by that car that's interfering with your memory and making it hard for you to talk.

"Hmm."

"Hey, Tetsuya?" Ichigo said, bringing the noble's eyes to meet his, "It's gonna be okay, I promise. I know you feel pretty lost right now, but you've got people watching out for you."

"Mhmm,"

Tetsuya turned his head to look out the window, his mind mulling over everything that had happened. He frowned thoughtfully as he remembered another name his ginger-haired companion had mentioned. He looked back at Ichigo and touched his arm to get his attention. Ichigo blinked and gazed at him curiously.

"Something wrong?" he asked, sitting up straighter, "Did you remember something?"

Tetsuya shook his head.

"Byakuya?" he inquired.

"Oh, right," Ichigo said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, "I did mention that Byakuya told me about you. He asked me to protect you."

"Who is Byakuya?"

"Byakuya?" Ichigo repeated, "Kuchiki Byakuya is…"

Ichigo paused, frowning. Tetsuya touched his arm again, looking at him questioningly. Ichigo thought for a moment before continuing.

"Look, Tetsuya, a lot has happened and it might be better if we wait until we're in a private, safe place and Kisuke's had a look at you before we get into everything. I don't even know if it's a good thing for me to say too much about things you don't remember. I mean, it'll put pressure on you, maybe. I don't want to do that. So…is it okay if we wait for that?"

Tetsuya gave him a doubtful look, but nodded, then looked away.

"Sorry," Ichigo said penitently, "I know this is hard for you. You've got to be pretty scared and confused, what with people coming after you, and you not knowing who you can trust."

Tetsuya's head turned and his blue eyes fastened on Ichigo's, sending a warm flutter through Ichigo's insides.

"I trust you."

"Good," Ichigo said in a relieved tone, "And I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'll keep that guy away from you and I'll help you get your memory back. You'll be all right."

Tetsuya gave him a look of tentative approval.

"Thank you, I-ichigo," he said gratefully.

Their conversation ended as the bus pulled up to a stop and Ichigo took Tetsuya's hand, bringing him to his feet.

"This is our stop."

The two disembarked and headed along a quiet residential street. Ichigo led Tetsuya along, changing directions several times and watching carefully to make sure they were not followed. Just as Tetsuya was about to ask how much longer the walk would be, Ichigo led him up to a lovely dark wood cottage that sat at the top of a little hill, and next to a large park and glistening lake.

"It's beautiful," Tetsuya said softly.

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, "You'll be able to relax and recover better here. Kisuke has a shop in town, but a lot of Gotei soldiers go through there, so he was worried it would be to obvious a place for you to go."

"Gotei?" Tetsuya repeated, looking confused.

"Sorry, let's get inside and see if Kisuke's here," Ichigo suggested.

He moved to the door and unlocked it, then the two stepped inside. Ichigo stepped in front of Tetsuya protectively.

"Kisuke?"

He broke into a relieved smile as the shopkeeper stepped out of the kitchen and into the entry to greet them, accompanied by two young women, one with black hair and violet eyes and the other with bright ginger hair and wearing a gentle, worried expression.

"We're here," Kisuke answered, moving forward.

He paused, watching as Tetsuya looked at him closely, blinking and frowning.

"Tetsuya-san," he continued, "I'm glad Ichigo found you. And it sounds like it was just in time."

Tetsuya nodded silently, stealing a shy glance at Ichigo and blushing.

"Now, Ichigo said that you had been in an accident, so you were injured, and he told me that your gigai was stuck. If it's okay with you, I can help you get out of that gigai, and we can have a look at you to see how you're doing."

"I'm f-fine," Tetsuya said, stepping back uncertainly.

Ichigo slipped an arm around him and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"It's okay. Kisuke is a good friend. He's helped all of us out of a lot of trouble over the years. The girl with the red hair is Orihime. She's a very talented healer. She's also a good friend of mine. And next to her is Kuchiki Rukia, your cousin and Byakuya's sister."

Rukia stepped forward, brushing tears out of her eyes as she approached Tetsuya, looking as though she longed to hug him, but holding back and glancing at Kisuke. Tetsuya considered quietly for a brief moment, then offered his teary-eyed cousin a gentle embrace.

"I'm so glad Ichigo found you," Rukia said in a choked voice, "I heard you were hurt in an accident…hit by a car, and we couldn't find you for the longest time!"

"I'm fine," Tetsuya whispered, "J-just confused."

"Confused and stuck in that gigai," Ichigo added.

"If you'll let me, I can get you out of that gigai," Kisuke offered, "You don't remember, but I supplied you with that gigai, so I can have it off of you in a wink. Is that all right?"

Tetsuya looked back at him silently and nodded tentatively.

"Come on and lie down in this room over here. You and Ichigo will have to share, because there are only two bedrooms and a bed in my lab here."

"It's probably best since Byakuya asked me to watch out for you."

Tetsuya glanced back at the women and bowed politely, then followed Kisuke and Ichigo into the bedroom. He laid down on the bed and tried not to quiver as the shopkeeper leaned over him and examined him closely for several minutes. He removed a small device from his pocket and ran it over Tetsuya's body, then studied the results on the display.

"Hmm," he muttered thoughtfully, "interesting. This gigai is one that I made myself, so it has a few extra features. One is that when it takes catastrophic damage, it automatically reduces power to some functions so that it can keep the more important functions operating. For example, it seems like you've been mute for a while, and you are only able to talk a little. It seems that the gigai reduced power to its speech centers so that it could protect your reiatsu and the reiatsu of the baby."

Tetsuya's blue eyes widened and he gave the shopkeeper a befuddled look.

"B-baby?" he managed, "But I am…?"

"You are male," Kiuske explained, "but you are the offspring of a special group of males who once helped keep the noble families of Soul Society from dying out. Although you are male, your body is capable of forming a spirit chamber inside. When you disappeared, you had a child growing in a spirit chamber inside you."

Tetsuya looked down at his slim abdomen, his eyes growing fearful.

"I lost my baby?" he asked.

Kisuke gave him an encouraging smile.

"No way," he assured Tetsuya, "Your baby is in the spirit chamber, and when you were injured, the gigai temporarily halted the baby's reiatsu maturation, kinda putting the little tyke in stasis, so that any pressure on your body would be relieved until you were strong enough to continue. The gigai just makes you look like you're not pregnant, because, here in the living world, men don't have babies. Their bodies are subject to different rules than ours. It'd be a little hard to explain and would draw too much attention to have you showing, so the gigai makes you look normal sized. When I remove it, you'll get to see your baby bump, and you may just have that baby right now."

Tetsuya's expression shifted from confusion and uncertainty to the beginnings of panic. Instantly, Ichigo was at his side, holding his hand and bending close to talk to him soothingly.

"I was surprised when I learned about you too," he confessed, "I can understand how you've gotta be feeling, having this all thrown at you at once."

"I would let you stay in the gigai a little longer," Kisuke explained, "except that it's really damaged and it's already been stuck on you way longer than it should have been left on. It could fail, and we don't want that. I get that it's a lot to take in, but we'll be able to slow down and take things more gradually after we remove it and get your reiatsu balanced and the baby's situation fully assessed. I'm sure everything will be fine. If you feel too anxious and want me to, I can sedate you so that you won't have to be awake."

"N-no," Tetsuya answered, shrinking back against Ichigo, "just…go ahead."

Kisuke exchanged worried glances with Ichigo.

"Okay, I'm going to remove the gigai now. If you feel any discomfort, just tell me and I'll stop, okay?"

Tetsuya nodded and tightened his hand on Ichigo's.

"All right, here goes," the shopkeeper said, removing a small cutting tool out of his clothing and touching it to Tetsuya's skin.

"You shouldn't feel this," Kisuke assured him, "It's not cutting you at all, just the gigai."

Tetsuya quivered inwardly, but bravely held still, swallowing hard and watching raptly as the gigai was cut away and his pregnant body was revealed.

"How are you feeling?" Kisuke asked, "Do you wanna try talking a little more? I want to see if your speech was being affected by the damage to the gigai."

Tetsuya nodded and tried his voice again.

"It feels…different," he confessed, "I feel like something was keeping me from saying what I wanted to before."

Kisuke nodded.

"That was because of the damage to the gigai's speech centers. You shouldn't have any more trouble saying what you need to say."

"Well, that's one problem solved," Ichigo said in a relieved tone.

He glanced at Tetsuya, then looked at his swollen belly.

"Hey, is it okay if I…?"

Tetsuya smiled and ran a hand over his pronounced baby bump.

"It's fine. Go ahead," he invited Ichigo.

Ichigo's golden brown eyes softened as he reached out and touched Tetsuya's soft, round belly, then rubbed the area gently.

"It's pretty amazing. I remember when I was little and my mom was having my sisters," Ichigo recalled, "I didn't know I was a shinigami then, so I didn't know that what I was feeling when I touched her baby bump was my sisters' souls. I thought there would be two and they would be girls."

He swallowed against the lump in his throat and blinked his burning eyes.

"This one is…"

"It's a girl," Tetsuya whispered, tears flooding his eyes, "But Ichigo…this baby, will you tell me. Who is the father?"

"Oh!" Ichigo exclaimed, "sorry, Tetsuya. I didn't know before if I should explain everything or if you would just remember on your own. You see, Rukia explained to me that you and Byakuya were real close. In fact, you fell in love and you wanted to be married. But the family elders wouldn't allow it because you are of mixed peasant and noble blood. Still, you continued to see each other romantically, and you became pregnant with his child. This baby is the daughter of your family's leader. Byakuya is the head of the family. That's the reason that some of your relatives are trying to find you and hurt you. With Byakuya…"

Ichigo stopped abruptly, unsure how to continue. Reading his expression, Tetsuya felt wave of apprehension sweep over him.

"Did they kill Byakuya?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"No," Kisuke answered, "Byakuya went on a military mission and was reported killed in action. His reiatsu faded and he was declared dead, although no one knows exactly what happened."

"I'm so sorry," Ichigo said apologetically, "I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know if it was good for you to struggle with that when you don't remember anything."

"But it's important for you to know so that you can prepare for what's coming," Kisuke added, "Tetsuya, as soon as I removed the gigai, it became clear that the area above the spirit chamber is losing cohesion."

"That means that…" Tetsuya began.

"The baby's coming now," Kisuke finished, "Once she does, she will need all of our protection. She has to be guarded carefully. She is now the rightful leader to the Kuchiki clan!"

Tetsuya frowned and looked down at his swollen belly.

"But… if she is the leader, then don't the others in the family have to acknowledge her? Aren't there laws to protect her too?"

"Yeah," Kisuke said with an edge of sarcasm, "funny thing about that is…if you and the baby are taken back to the clan now, because you are a concubine and your cousin Orochi's father is the current regent, the clan will order that your daughter will be taken from you…and given to Isas for him to raise."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and Tetsuya gasped softly in horror and dark realization.

"If they are given my daughter, they will make sure that she never reaches adulthood," Tetsuya concluded, "Ichigo…"

"I know," Ichigo said, grabbing Tetsuuya's hand and holding it tightly, "Tetsuya, I swear, I will keep you and this baby safe. I swear it on my life that Isas and Orochi won't reach you!"


End file.
